"I had only two or three drinks over the course of seven hours at the hall and was certainly not intoxicated when we arrived at my ex-wife's house, as my very vindictive and inaccurate ex-wife claimed," Caretti said, reading a prepared statement in a conference room near his chambers in Macomb County Circuit Court in Mount Clemens.

His girlfriend, Brenda Conway, who is a distant relative by marriage of Lori Conway, was arrested for drunk driving with two underage occupants about 12:30 a.m. Sunday outside Lori Conway's Franklin home after the foursome arrived to drop off the 15- and 12-year-old girls from a Caretti-family wedding reception in Macomb Township. Lori Conway said she called police after her elder daughter text-messaged her that Brenda Conway was drunk and driving erratically.

"When we left the hall, I had absolutely no idea that her ability to drive may have been impaired," Caretti said. "She seemed completely fine and normal. If I had any indication whatsoever that she may have been impaired, I never would have allowed her to drive my children. She drove because she appeared fine, and it was her vehicle.

"Brenda's driving from the hall to my ex-wife's home was excellent, and she abided by all applicable traffic laws."

Caretti said he didn't then drive to his Fraser home because her vehicle, a 2011 Volkswagen station wagon, was impounded by police.

"The police were kind enough to drop me off at the Tim Hortons, not because I was intoxicated as my ex-wife claimed, but because my ex-wife's driveway did not seem to be the appropriate place to wait for a ride home," he said.

Caretti's actions are being investigated by state Child Protective Services. CPS could file a civil petition in court that could seek some type of discipline that Caretti could agree to in a "parent-agency agreement," such as attending counseling or completing a parenting course, according to Clinton Township-based attorney Dennis Rickert, who practices in that area.

The Judicial Tenure Commission also could look into the matter regarding the judicial code of conduct. The JTC could respond to a complaint or address the matter on its own.

But Caretti said he doesn't believe he will face any consequences.

"I did nothing wrong," he said.

The couple were married in 1995 and divorced in 2011. Caretti also has two adult children.

Caretti's 15-year-old daughter told her mother that during the long drive from Sycamore Hills Golf & Banquet Center on North Avenue to 14 Mile Road and Franklin roads her dad asked her to drive home because the two adults were drunk, Lori Conway said. She has a driver's permit.

But Caretti said she wanted to drive for a different reason: "My daughter, who has her permit, always wants to drive, so I asked her if she wanted to drive for that reason only."

Brenda Conway, 50, of Troy, was arrested after her blood-alcohol content registered .16 percent and .15 percent in Breathalyzer tests.

Free on a $100 bond, she was formally charged Tuesday and faces a Jan. 28 pretrial in front of Judge Debra Nance in 46th District Court in Southfield.

The misdemeanor charge carries a minimum penalty of five days in jail, up to one year.

Caretti was appointed to the circuit bench in 2002 and re-elected in 2004 and 2010, serving as chief judge in 2008 and 2009. He earns an annual salary of $140,000.